Shipping-crate for globes.



Patent'ed My 9, I91";

' I IfiVENTD ZErY7) J. N. HAHN.

SHIPPING CRATE FOR GLOBES. (Apphcatxon filed m: 5 1901) "(In Nodal.)

A 'IEET 4 NTED STATES ATEN FFIQE.

JOHN N. HAHN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of' Letters Patent No. 677,979, dated July 9, 1901.

Application filed March 5, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. HAHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates for Globes;

and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to crates for shipping electric-light globes.

The more modern arc lights or lamps are inclosed in glass globes which, while they vary somewhat in shape, are in the main substantially spherical and are closed about the sides and top and open at the bottom. They also vary more or less in size, and some are of very considerable proportions, measuring in the neighborhood of ten to twelve inches in diameter.

Heretofore, so far as'I am aware, the only practical way of packing globes of this kind for shipment has been by'means of large barrels or casks and hay or straw to fill in compactly about each globe to keep it out of contact with others; but this was both a bulky and expensive way of packing and shipping and at best very unsatisfactory, as well as requiring specially-skilled and therefore expensive labor to do the packing.

By my method the barrel or cask and the straw, hay, or other loose packing material are entirely dispensed with, and I use instead thereof a suitably-constructed crate in which each globe is given an individual and protected seat and is easily placed therein and can be packed and unpacked by unskilled hands in a fraction of the time formerly required.

To these several ends the invention consists in a crate having the peculiarities of construction and serving the purpose substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of one form or style of crate adapted to my use and showing a number of globes'seated therein. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a portion of the crate as it relates to a seat for a single globe and of a globe occupying said seat.

Serial No. 49,788. (No model.)

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the globe and a plan of the seat below on line A A, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation ofa modification of the globe-seat and of the means for confining or centering the globe.

A represents a wooden crate, with a framework built up of slats preferably and of a strength sufficient to withstand shipment and afiord security to the globes B. Hence the style or build of the crate is immaterial and may be considerably varied from what is here shown and serve my purpose. It should, however, be rigid and strong, so as to bear measurably rough handling and knocking about in shipment, especially when empty, and to protect the globes when filled.

Essential features of a crate of this kind are cross bars or slats 2 and boards 3, secured thereon at their ends. The said boards are detachably secured, so that they can be placed and displaced as the globes are packed and unpacked, and I may employ special fastening means for this purpose. Ordinarily screws serve the purpose, or even nails, if carefully driven.

As shown, in the present crate there is provision for nine globes in series of three, one above the other. There may be provision for one or more globes secured in the same way, and a crate with a dozen common-sized globes is altogether convenient. Each globe has its own special seat and all are seated alike.

Thus the board on which the globe rests has a circular hole of a size proportioned to the size of the globe relatively as shown, though the said hole may be varied in size and not depart from the spirit of the invention. For convenience in cutting said hole has its edge at right angles to the plane of the board, as in Fig. 2; but it may be undercut or flaring at its edge, somewhat adapted to the curvature of the globe, as in Fig. 4c. The hole thus made and in either form is not material for the bottom seating of the globe, but rather for its top seating,so to speak, or centering to avoid tilting or getting displaced when the crate is turned on its side or end. Then for the bottom seating and centering I may use an inside projection C, as in Fig. 3, or an outside projection D, as in Fig. 4. In Fig. 3 the said projection is of a size to comfortably seat the globe over it and prevent slipping in any direction, while in Fig. 4 said projection engages comfortably about the outside of the edge of the globe. Both projections, so called, may be made of cleats, blocks, or strips of wood in one or more pieces and are permanently secured to the boards, and as a cushion for the globe to further protect it from breakage I overlay the hole 4: with a piece of corrugated paper E or other equivalent cushion or cushioning material. lhis cushion for the globe to rest on serves also the further purpose of a yielding surface or part for engagement with and confinement of the top of the globe, as in Fig. 4, or as would be in Fig. 2 if hole a were made a little larger.

Of course the construction thus shown and described can be modified more or less to adapt it to globes of different shapes and makes. Some may have more of a pineapple shape, and in that case the style of seat shown in Fig. 4, with the cleats D outside, would be best, and the top of the globe could project up somewhat through the next board above into the globe above, with a cushioned edging about hole 4., if preferred.

It is not intended that there shall be any down-pressure on the lower globes from above by reason of their projecting into the holes above and seating somewhat snugly about the edge of the holes. Better not have the holes fit as closely as this, and thus prevent downpressure or weight on the globe, the hole above being to avoid tilting. If there were no hole,

cleats on the under side of the upper board would serve to confine the globes and be a full equivalent of the holes; but then the boards would have to be farther apart. However, I care less for the details than for the principle of carrying the globes by suitable crates, and the details may be greatly varied and yet be within the invention. I have referred to the parts 3 as boards; but they might be a couple of slats run across as supports, and of course the cushion or corrugated paper need be no larger than to take in the edge of the globe and maybe under or over the cleats and interposed between the cleats or projections O and D it necessary to protect the edges of the globes.

Although the invention has been described as a crate, it is understood that a box or other like inclosure is embraced under this title and is so to be regarded in interpreting the claims.

Other globes, such as fish-globes, as well as lamp-globes, can be carried with advantage and safety in a crate of this kind.

In Fig. 1 the globes are shown as appearing through the openings in the top board, butin reality when ready for shipping an extra protecting-board (not shown) or corrugated cush ions are fastened over the openings to protect the globes at that point.

What I claim is 1. A shipping-crate forsubstantiall y spherical glass globes consisting of a rigid frame provided with fixed cross-pieces 2 at its ends and at successive elevations in sets from bottom to top of the crate, a globe-supporting board removably fixed at its ends to each set of said cross-pieces and having a circular hole about which the globe is seated, at flexible cushion overspreading said hole, and a set of cleats fastened down upon the edges of said cushion about said hole, substantially as described.

2. In shipping-crates for glass globes, a crate having globe-supporting boards provided with a hole for each globe corresponding in size substantially to the inner diameter of the neck of the globe and the holes in the successive boards being over one another in a perpendiculanline, a flexible cover overspreading'each hole and a set of removable cleats for confining the globes fixed upon said covering and arranged about said holes, said boards removably secured to the crate at their ends and the successive boards arranged apart less than the depth of the globes to be carried, whereby the tops of the globes are brought within the holes of the boards next above them, substantially as described.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 1st day of March, 1901.

JOHN N. I-IAIIN. Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, H. E. MUDRA. 

